The transport of dairy goods, e.g. milk packages, from dairies to shops frequently takes place with the help of a distribution system comprising a truck of the type as described above. The truck is filled with the goods in question at the dairy whereupon it is rolled up onto a distribution van and conveyed to the shop. On arrival the truck is rolled directly to the selling point, where customers successively empty the truck. When the truck has been emptied it is replaced by a new, full truck and returned to the dairy where it is filled again. The storage of empty trucks in a space-saving manner is facilitated in that two of the side walls which are parallel in a loaded position of the truck, are adapted to be swung somewhat outwardly from one another to a free position, whereafter a number of similar trucks can be slid into each other so that they can be stored on a limited floor-area while awaiting return transport to the dairy for new filling.
The known systems, with or without transport trays, have several serious disadvantages. It is assumed by them, for example, that the side walls of the truck will be capable of acting as lateral supports protecting and holding together the load in the loading space of the truck, and in order to be able to fulfill this function in an appropriate satisfactory manner it was previously essential, therefore, to dimension the total available load volume so that the load of goods would be able practically completely to fill out this space. According to the dimensions and shape of the goods the known distribution systems thus required more or less "tailor-made" trucks so as to fit the particular goods in each individual case. This requirement made the known systems clumsy to some extent, since it was not possible to utilize a standardized truck, that is to say a uniform truck for all types of goods irrespective of their size, whose side walls at same time would be able to act as a support both protecting and holding together the load of goods in a satisfactory manner.
A further disadvantage of the known distribution systems is that the truck usually was provided with some kind of mechanical locking arrangement, e.g. of the type comprising elements engaging one another on parts of the truck which are movable in relation to one another, in order to lock the swinging side walls of the truck in the active position and thereby prevent these walls from unintentionally swinging away from each other when the truck is loaded with goods. Such locking arrangements as a rule are very sensitive to mechanical influences such as jolts and impacts which may occur during the handling of the truck and which often may damage the locking arrangement and even render the truck unusable.
In accordance with the present invention it has been found, however, that many of these disadvantages of the known distribution systems can be eliminated if the truck is more or less freed from certain of their previously necessary functions, such as the supporting function and the locking function.